The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has appealed the decision by Olympic officials to strip Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal after she stood on the podium in the floor competition in Paris.
On Sunday morning, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed it will re-award Chiles’ bronze medal to Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu, after the Supreme Court overturned an appeal by Chiles’ track coach.
A few hours later, the USOPC released a statement expressing their belief that “Chiles rightfully earned the bronze medal.”
“There were critical errors in both the initial assessment by the Gymnastics Federation (FIG) and the subsequent CAS appeals process that needed to be addressed,” they wrote.
“The first error occurred in FIG’s review, and the second error occurred during the CAS appeals process, where the USOPC was not given sufficient time or notice to effectively challenge the decision. As a result, we were not properly represented or given the opportunity to present our case comprehensively.”
“Given these circumstances, we are committed to filing an appeal to ensure Jordan Chiles receives the recognition she deserves,” the statement continued. “We remain committed to supporting her as an Olympic champion and will continue to work diligently to resolve this matter promptly and fairly.”
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